James Park’s heart rate and sleep patterns tell the real story of what it’s like to be the chief executive of a company about to go public. Park wore Fitbit’s (FIT) Surge “superwatch” during the entire process, from the company’s initial SEC filing through the subsequent road show and finally to his IPO-day celebration with a New York–style hot dog. Even Jim Cramer couldn’t get a rise out of him. Here’s a look at the numbers.
James Park’s Tips for Managing IPO Stress:
- Stay focused on a specific goal. (Even if it’s a hot dog.)
- Be prepared. “We had almost 100 meetings with investors.
- Get a consistent amount of sleep every night. “Data is helpful to maintain discipline.”
- Stay fit. “Health is an important part of managing the ups and downs of running a company.”
Watch James Park speaking at Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech below:
A version of this article appears in the August 1, 2015 issue of Fortune magazine with the headline “The Quantified Self: CEO-at-IPO Edition.”
